


Vitally Important

by a_moon_crater



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Genre: Constructive criticism is so welcome, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gay, M/M, Panic Attacks, Pre-Relationship, Robotnik doesn’t know emotions, Stobotnik, at all, cw panic attack, misunderstanding emotions, plz help I’m trying my best, this is my first fic I am trying my hardest, will update tags as this goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:01:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23525029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_moon_crater/pseuds/a_moon_crater
Summary: Robotnik is used to working on his own. Well, “working with” thick-skulled agents that never last more than a month under his command. The doctor’s new favorite thing is tracking their vitals to tell exactly how he is making them fear him, and getting them to leave as soon as possible. But surprisingly, there’s one agent who seems to be defying the odds...
Relationships: Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik & Agent Stone, Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik/Agent Stone
Comments: 21
Kudos: 100





	1. Emotions Are Idiotic

The best decision Robotnik had ever made was requiring custom made and impeccable clothes for his agents. First, it kept the team looking absolutely immaculate (and appearances matter in this world), and second, it allowed for him to keep track of their vitals at all times. Not because he cared about those government lackeys health or anything, he just needed their vitals to keep track of those stupid human emotions. And god, did Robotnik  _ hate _ emotions. They were nothing less than bodily functions and reactions to outside stimuli that somehow managed to serve as a path of guidance for the weakest. Emotions were  _ distasteful _ and downright  _ IDIOTIC _ . Nonetheless, keeping an eye on the inner workings of each agent kept them in check at all times. He always knew what was running through their thick skulls before they even had their lethargic neurotransmitters fire. 

Although Robotnik hated those pesky emotions, he felt a sense of catharsis from seeing each agent’s sympathetic nervous systems run amok around him. When the vital tracker notified him of the heightened breathing and heart rate, dilated pupils, and increased adrenaline flow that signaled that fight or flight reaction of fear, he almost got giddy. He sought to put those goons in their places, and seeing that beautiful fear run through their systems due to the doctors deliberate actions was enough to make even him crack a smile. Sure, he may have a different agent to outfit the next day due to the panic-stricken and incompetent agent who ran crying to his higher-ups about the doctor, but it was all worth it. He liked seeing them go. He liked seeing those brainless government lackeys run back complaining. Maybe those halfwits would finally realize he doesn’t need anyone to hold him back.

He barely even noticed each agent as they quickly passed through his lab: each one lasting at least one week to, at best, one whole month. Which is why Agent Stone started to cross the doctors radar. 

Robotnik pulled up a calendar in his lab. It was the beginning of June, with the days slowly blooming into those drearily long and languid summer months. He was almost surprised to see that Stone had been working for him for a full five months. He was still sticking around. Perhaps it was the almost perfect lattes he made daily for the doctor that kept Stone on his good side, or maybe he just got quite lucky to be stuck in the mobile lab during some of the simplest and dumbest missions the doctor had ever been forced to finish. No matter the cause, Robotnik felt uneasy being tethered to one dumb agent for so long. He quickly pulled up some old vital records of the strange agent, and noticed that he barely had scared the man. 

There were a few flare-ups of his sympathetic nervous system, but not in the times and places the doctor would predict for him to be fearful. He found very limited occasions where Robotnik seemed to legitimately put Stone in his place, and decided that area of their interactions was lacking, to say the least. 

Fairly decent coffee wasn’t a good enough reason to keep another government goon around for this long, and the doctor scowled to think that’s probably why he allowed Stone to go so long without adequate punishment. After all, the doctor loves a good latte. But nevertheless, it was finally time to put the agent in his place. 


	2. Chartreuse is an Ugly Color

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robotnik attempts to scare Agent Stone by going on an angry tirade. Does it work?

Stone awoke at 4 am to Robotnik furiously yelling for him over the loudspeaker wired throughout the lab. He sighed, sat up, and rubbed his eyes. This was an earlier morning than most, so something had to be wrong. The agent hastily got dressed in the all black outfit the doctor had provided on his first day.  
  
Most people he worked for didn’t have such a strict dress code, but by now he knew his boss was not “most people”. _In fact, his boss was_ **_far_ ** _from normal_ , he thought as he buttoned up his perfectly fitting black dress shirt and tucked it into his slim dark pants.

The doctor had an ego beyond control, loved humiliating anyone who happened to work beneath him, and effectively sabotaged every agent who got assigned to him. But Stone couldn’t deny: that man was a genius, and the agent was absolutely fascinated with his work. No other person on earth could think like he did, and it was fantastic to see his inventions and solutions to problems happen in real time.

Plus, the doctor’s tirades didn’t really scare him, all he really needed to do to help the angry boss’ mood was make an exceptionally good latte. Most of the time, his outbursts were just frustration at the mission they were currently finishing, and the doctor would manifest the anger towards Stone. The agent was willing to brush it off, Robotnik probably didn’t mean it.

Besides, he’d never want to leave. Stone looked up to the eccentric doctor immensely, and found himself enthralled by everything the genius did. This was the best job the agent ever had, even with the occasional dressing down from his boss. The agent felt himself growing even more attached to the fascinating man every day, no matter what humiliation came with working for the doctor. 

Stone finished the outfit by tying the black tie perfectly and tightly around his collar, and throwing on the black blazer. He rushed to the lab while buttoning the top button of the blazer, knowing that the longer Robotnik waited, the angrier and more frustrated he got. 

“AGENT STONE. Look who decided to show up. I sent my initial message TEN minutes ago, and I know all you need is FIVE minutes to get here!” Robotnik fumed at the late agent as he walked through the door. 

“I’m sorry, sir. What seems to be the issue?”

“Well, Stone, it seems that no matter what, all I get is idiotic and incompetent agents that don’t understand direction even when I shove it in their faces!” 

“Sir, if I may, what are you talking about?” Stone winced, knowing the response to his question wouldn’t be ideal, but he genuinely had no idea what the man was raving about. 

-“You know exactly what’s wrong, don’t you? Or is that moronic brain of yours too stupid to understand? PIN YOURSELF TO A WALL. _NOW.”_ The doctor ferociously pointed to the nearest wall. 

Stone was used to this order, and swiftly placed a hand on his chest and guided himself to lightly thump his back against the wall. He couldn’t help the slight thrill it gave him. He was always a sucker for a strong and commanding man. Not that he had anything going with the doctor, it was purely a work relationship. But in times like this, he almost wished for more. He was fairly obsessed with Robotnik, and in the doctor’s angry tirades, Stone’s mind would wander. The doctor always got so close to his face while Stone was vulnerable and pressed up against the wall, and thinking about his boss leaning in and closing the gap between their lips sent a chill up his spine. 

_But no, that’s ridiculous,_ he thought. _I’m just tired and spent too much time around him, that’s all this is._

He caught his mind before it drifted too far and before the doctor could notice Stone focusing on his lips instead of his words. Stone finally tuned in to the doctor and what he was yelling about, although the agent’s face did flush slightly at his own, well, interesting thoughts. 

“And do not get me started on file BADNIK157! I said color code it LIME GREEN, not this CHARTREUSE that you picked out!” The doctor was theatrically gesturing with the file in hand.

“How DARE you ruin _MY LAB_ like this? Chartreuse is DISGUSTING, and hugely different from lime green! Is color really too difficult for that _idiotic_ head of yours? Am I supposed to send ALL of my inadequate agents back to _KINDERGARTEN_ , STONE?” The doctor questioned, and then slammed the file down on the table. 

“Um, no sir.” He gulped, glad that he had paid attention enough to not miss the question directed at him. 

“GOOD. NOW MAKE ME A LATTE. UNPIN YOURSELF.” Robotnik spun on his heels and stormed back to his side of the lab, and didn’t bother to watch Stone pick up the file he had left scattered all over the work space. 

Stone reorganized the file quickly, and put it on his own desk as a reminder to recolor the file later so it fit perfectly within the doctor’s parameters.   
As the agent hurried off to go make the morning lattes, he was surprised to remember the times his mind had wandered during the doctor’s rants. It wasn’t just today, and it was beginning to happen more frequently. He tried to just brush it off, but he was left with a slowly increasing sinking feeling. 

_Do I have a crush… on my boss?_

As Stone left the lab, Robotnik pulled up the agent’s vital reports from the last hour. 

_I hit ALL the check marks! Pupil dilation, heart and breathing rate accelerated, adrenaline being produced… the list goes on and on. Why didn’t he look scared shitless?_ he pondered to himself. 

_He should’ve been scared just like all the others._

The doctor was not very proficient at seeing emotions himself, but even he can tell when someone is as fearful as Stone should've been while getting humiliated by his superior. 

_Why did all the diagnostics for fear get hit, but the agent didn’t look as if he was afraid at all?_


	3. Shit, I'm in Love With My Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stone realizes what he's been ignoring this whole time.

Stone rushed from the lab to get the lattes the doctor had requested. With each step he took, the agent was realizing more and more how much he was infatuated with the strange man. Stone let his entire life get shaped around him, and strangely… it didn’t feel wrong. Everything about this felt… _right_. He got to spend his career with someone he genuinely admired. Taking this job was the best decision the agent had ever made, and it was all because of _him_.

The agent stopped cold in his tracks. 

_Fuck. I am so in love with Robotnik._

He tried to brush it off, but couldn’t stop the feeling of dread and panic filling his bones over his realization. He brought his hands up to the sides of his face and rubbed his temples, trying to get the panic and nausea radiating throughout his body to subdue.

_No, this cannot be happening. I can’t be in love with him. This is just my mind playing tricks on me, I just spend too much time around him, that’s all._

He tried to reassure himself that everything was fine, but the agent knew when he was lying to himself. No matter how hard he wanted to believe that this was all just some trick of the mind, he couldn’t force himself to believe in anything but the honest truth. And the truth of the matter was that he was totally head over heels for the charming doctor.

He attempted to take another step down the hallway, but found his feet to be frozen to the ground. His mind was racing at a million miles a minute, and he couldn’t focus on anything but his panic.

_How am I supposed to be around him anymore? This is so not okay for what’s supposed to be a work relationship, but there’s no way I can quit the best job I’ve ever had. What am I going to do? What if he finds out? He can’t find out, I… I… fuck I can’t-_

Stone struggled to get his breathing under control as he felt his vision slowly fade from his grasp. He flung an arm out to find a wall, and hit the wall with a loud smack, his hand stinging where it had made the impact. He swung his hand back to his chest and cradled it. 

_Fuck I - I’m already in deep enough shit and I can’t even, I, I think I sprained it, fuck,_ his mind raced as he slid to the floor, drew his knees to his chest, and tucked his head in. 

_Fuck, get your shit together Aban. You can do this._ He tried to calm himself down from his emotions, but it was to no avail. The panic was drowning him and he just had to sit and let it run its course. 

Stone was too overwhelmed to hear the loud footsteps that were quickly approaching him.

“Stone? STONE? Where are you? It’s taking you far too long to get these lattes, and you know I-“ 

Robotnik came to a screeching halt when he saw his agent on the ground. The doctor’s mind was racing, and for the first time in a very long time, he was left without a clue what to say.

“Stone? Are… you… okay?” 

“I- I’m sorry, I’m so sorry doctor, I-“ Stone sobbed in response, his voice shakier than ever before. 

“No no no, Stone, there’s nothing… there’s nothing to be sorry about.” Robotnik reached out towards Stone’s shoulder, but stopped about an inch away, surprised by his own actions. 

_This is what I wanted, wasn’t it? Then why do I feel… remorseful?_

He attempted to ignore his thoughts as he realized he needed to calm Stone down. Slowly, he filled the gap between his hand and his agent’s shoulder. Stone initially flinched, but then relaxed against the unexpected touch.

“Everything’s alright, I… I’m here.” The doctor mumbled as he rubbed circles into Stone’s back with his thumb. “Everything’s okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do i feel evil for what i did? yes. will i be nicer in later chapters? probably.


End file.
